The Senate held a hearing on Sen. Testin and Rep. Kremer’s Industrial Hemp legislation. Sen. Testin made sure committee members understood the difference between industrial hemp and marijuana. Rep. Kremer released a YouTube video introducing the bill. The Senate is going to hold an executive session on the bill this week. No action has been taken in the Assembly. The bill was originally introduced in March.

Sen. Marklein and Rep. Mursau have introduced a Sparsity Aid bill, and Gov. Walker has publicly stated his support for the bill. Sparsity aid was originally included in Gov. Walker’s budget but the Joint Finance Committee removed it and replaced it with other funding mechanisms for schools like low revenue enhancements. Gov. Walker vetoed those items out of the budget. Now. Marklein and Mursau and introducing the bill to give schools additional sparsity aid in the second year of the biennium (2018-19). LRB-4432 and LRB-4433 are due back from cosponsorship circulation on October 20. (Gov. Veto release on sparsity aid, Sen. Marklein release on bill introduction, Rep. Nygren’s response to the bill introduction).